Mai slinks into the room—closing the door with more force than necessary—and falls into an armchair, letting her bookbag droop at the side. She sighs. Loudly.
"That's an interesting way to say tadaima," Yasuhara remarks brightly, bustling with movement in the small kitchen. Mai doesn't look up, and that's when he knows it's his cue to interfere.
"Oh, come on, Mai."
She hears the dull clank of plates, then shuffling footsteps—then Yasuhara is sitting next to her, squishing for space on the arm of the chair. She turns, pressing her face into the pillow.
"I want to see him," she mumbles, and her friend's not sure which Davis twin she means, but it's most assuredly one of them. He presses palm against her shoulder in a way he hopes is some comfort, but he knows there's only so much he can offer her.
"I don't care if he's a jerk to me when I go," she continues fiercely, "and if he doesn't want to see me at all—"
"He would."
"You don't know that." Mai droops more, feeling coarse embarrassment rise on the edge of her throat. She is well-aware she's being pitiful. She is well-aware that Noll, even in his absence, is an affront to her pride and sensibility. Like a true scientist, she's localized the issue and—sorted it out somewhat: she loves him, loves him, loves him. She's never met anyone like him. But now he's far-gone, and she thinks those trans-continental links between them might be busted or, worse, one-sided.
Played for a fool again.
Yasu gets up.
A minute later, he comes back with an arm full of books, lets them spill all over his lap as he settles down next to her. "Mai," he begins, and switches course entirely—time for English. "We have studying to do."
She perks up at that. Pauses. "I still can't do the eru." she says in her first tongue, clenching the sofa fabric as she pulls herself up.
"O-li-ver." Yasu says gently.
"O-li-ver." Of course, she'd still call him Naru if she got the chance.
It's too stupid (perfect for someone like her) but she feels that much closer to him. She studies English like she's never studied anything before, eats up every word that Naru might be saying on the other side of the world.
( ( Sporadic drabbles! Many inspired in part by The Transfer by Malindorie which might be my favorite thing ever right now. ) )